<span class="first-letter">F</span>BCCI will not allow to degrade the image of the whole business community for a few dishonest people in market manipulation."
Despite contributing the most to the economy, industrialization, employment, and poverty alleviation, the image of the entire business community is being tarnished for a handful of businessmen. This attempt cannot be allowed to continue,
This was stated by FBCCI President Md. Jashim Uddin at a discussion meeting on "Stock, Import, Supply and Price Situation of Essential Commodities" held at the FBCCI office on Sunday morning.
Talking about the recent increase in the price of onion, the FBCCI Chief said that onions are sold wholesale at different prices from one store to another in the ShyamBazaar. In the retail market also, the price difference from one market to another is 10 to 15 taka per kg.
This condition is abnormal. A few businessmen are responsible for this. "We will definitely do business, but we will not do anything that will ruin the image of the entire business community," he added.
The government has done its best by reducing the customs duty on Onion import, and within a few hours, after the decision, the onion price dropped, which seems to be abnormal and it proves that there is something unusual in the onion market. Md. Jashim Uddin said that FBCCI will work to break such syndicate in the market.
At that time, warehouse owners and importers gave various arguments behind the increase and decrease of prices. Extortion in onion transport, rains in India and higher electricity bills than the price fixed by the government have pushed up the price of the essential commodities. Mr. Helal Uddin, President of Bangladesh Shop Owners' Association, argued for various expenses of the market association in favor of collecting additional electricity bills.
Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu, senior vice-president of FBCCI, said that it was not the job of the owners' association to collect electricity bills from shopkeepers. This is the responsibility of the power distribution company.
FBCCI President Md. Jashim Uddin assured to take further steps in this regard. He urged the traders to inform the FBCCI if they have any more such problems and said that the activities of the standing committee of the FBCCI would begin within a week. The committees will work relentlessly to solve the problems of the businessmen.
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Also present at the meeting were MA Momen, Vice President, FBCCI, Md. Aminul Hoque Shamim, Vice President, FBCCI, Md. Habib Ullah Dawn, Vice President, FBCCI, Md. Rezaul Karim Rejnu, CIP, Director and Former Vice President, FBCCI and Other Directors and FBCCI Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque.
Among others, representatives from rice and onion importers, warehouse owners and business leaders of various market associations in the capital were present at the meeting.
